Friday, December 18, 2009

Happy Holidays Life Organic readers! I bet it was cold when you received your Harvest Box this week! Brrrrr . . . a chill has definitely arrived in Ottawa.

Here are some recipes to help warm up your week . . . and your kitchen. I have definitely decided that I will be making these Roasted Mashed Potatoes and Yams for Christmas dinner next week. I made it a couple weeks ago and it was a big hit and disappeared as everyone made their way to the kitchen for seconds! I also found this Roasted Yams with Rosemary and bet it tastes divine with a hint of rosemary to add extra flavour. Either way, potatoes are a perfect holiday dish any way you serve them.

Why not dazzle your holiday guests - or perhaps just whip this up for a quiet evening by yourself one night - with this Blueberry Trifle? Nothing rings in the holidays quite like a decadent trifle. I am thinking about whipping up a batch of Blueberry Struesel Muffins to serve to my little ones on Christmas morning. With three kids getting out of bed to greet their gifts on Christmas morning, I want breakfast made ahead of time so we can all sit back and enjoy our time together.

For those who may eat a wee bit too much for their holiday meal, why not try lightening up some of your lunches? Who can beat a delicious Cucumber Sandwich? I love to throw whatever I have in the fridge between two slice of multi-grain bread and I'm good to go.

Grappling with how to tackle that bag of Chiogga beets? Well, worry no more. Dive into a plate of these Baked Beet Chips and you'll find yourself coming back for more.

Another beet salad that looks tangy and delicious is this Chiogga Beet and Blood Orange Salad.Wondering what to do with that burdock root that came a few weeks ago and is currently sitting on the shelf in your fridge? Well, you're not the only one! Even we had to be a little creative with it. The fact is, burdock root is an incredibly healthy root which has been used for hundreds of years to purify and flush toxins from the blood stream. It's health benefits are many, so finding a creative and delicious way to add this healing root to our diet is worth it. Here's a recipe that we came across from the Green Door Restaurant that's quite tasty. We've substituted the fiddleheads with the locally-grown broccoli and changed things around a bit. Remember: be creative and don't be afraid to make substitutions with a recipe if you don't have all the required items. Have fun with it!

Broccoli, Burdock, Carrot Salad

1 cup burdock (1 root) scrubbed and thinly sliced on diagonal

2 litres water

Bring water to boil. Add burdock and simmer for 5 min. Drain, cool and set aside. In same water add: 2 cups broccoli florets. Cook for several minutes. Drain, cool and set aside.

Rinse the burdock root under cold running water. Using a stiff brush or the back of your knife, lightly scrape the burdock root, carefully removing any rootlets and trace amounts of dirt. Cut the burdock root using a technique where the root is sharpened like a pencil to produce thin slivers. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the burdock root until slightly softer, about 3 to 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the sake, sugar, and soy sauce. Continue simmering over medium heat until the liquid is almost completely reduced to a glaze. Add a spice blend or crushed red pepper flakes, to taste.

Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with the toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!

I also thought I'd throw in this Chicken with Peanut Sauce recipe - a great way to use any leftover green beans you still have from last week. It's a family favourite of ours.

Trim green beans and break into small pieces. In large saucepan or wok, heat one T of oil over medium-high heat. Toss chicken pieces with curry powder. Stir fry chicken for two minutes, then add beans and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for five minutes. In a bowl, whisk coconut milk, peanut butter and soya sauce. Pour into wok, bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 T of parsley, and sprinkle the remaining parsley over top.

And this pear and curry pasta is easy and healthy - my husband adores it and two of my three kids eat it. That's near perfection in my book!

In a frying pan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until soft. Add garlic and curry paste and stir 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste and honey and stir another 2 minutes. Add broth, increase heat to medium high and boil gently, reducing liquid to less than 1 cup. (This takes about 15 minutes - now is a good time to start cooking the pasta).

Add pear slices and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes and cream and stir another 2 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Pour over pasta and toss gently.

If you like meat - serve with grilled chicken breast or pork tenderloin!

Enjoy your holidays and please remember that there will be no Life Organic deliveries on December 24, 25, and 31st, or on January 1st. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Near the top left corner of the box is a big bag of French Shallots. Shallots, which look very much like onions, will keep for a long time if stored in a cool place away from humidity and light. To prepare a shallot, you cut off both ends and then remove the peel (just like an onion). You may notice that unlike it's onion cousin, shallots will not bring you to tears when chopping. Shallots are excellent in soups or thrown in a quiche or omelet, and are delicious when paired with bacon bits. They can also stand in for leeks in many recipes.

I found this absolutely fabulous recipe for French Shallot Soup that I simply must try. It looks relatively easy to make and is stunning in the photograph. I can pretty much guarantee my kids won't eat it, but hey, you only live once and I feel it's important to eat soup this good before I die.Another great looking recipe that uses shallots is this Sauteed Shrimp with Garlic Toast - simple but flavourful.

Green beans are a healthy and easy side dish that go well with just about any main meal you are serving. I like them because no matter which way you prepare them, they are fast and simple. If you're a fan of gorgonzola or other strong cheeses, give this Green Beans with Hazelnuts and Gorgonzola a whirl. This Green Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad is also a quick and delicious choice.

We are huge avocado fans at my house and I know I've posted lots of great avocado recipes for you in the past. Being a Nova Scotia native and a real lobster lover - and knowing that lobster season is in December - I would love to get my hands on some of this fantastic red seafood so I could try this Avocado and Lobster Salad. If not, I'll have to suck it up and deal with the not-as-exciting Avocado Shrimp Salad. I also found this Mexican Chicken And Tomatillo Stew and think it looks like a fabulous warm meal to serve over the holidays.

And, last but definitely not least, I plan to use some of my delicious carrots and zucchini in this Quick Chicken Stew - a definite crowd pleaser and family favourite.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Look at all that colour in this week's harvest box! It looks absolutely inviting and delicious.

I will be adding a little information each week here at the Life Organic blog about storing your produce . . . so keep reading and be sure to comment if you have any questions or challenges you'd like me to address.

See that bag of local parsnips?? They are a pleasant tasting root vegetable, similar to carrots. Like carrots, parsnips need to be peeled. They can be boiled or steamed, and are quite divine when roasted in the oven. Parsnips can also be boiled and then mashed, just like potatoes. Smaller parsnips can also be peeled and grated raw into many salads.

Store your unwashed parsnips in a cool, dark place, just as you would your carrots. Wrapped in a paper towel and placed in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator, they should last up to two weeks, if not longer. And your cooked parsnips may be refrigerated and used within three days.

As always, I am a big fan of the Foodland Ontario recipe lists, and they have not disappointed in their parsnip recipes. If you think I am not trying these Cajun Parsnip Fries this week for my kids, you are nuts!! They look fantastic. I hope to take some photos and have a full review for you next week. And I also found this cook weather-friendly recipe for Middle Eastern Spiced Carrots and Parsnips - looks great and carrots and parsnips create a wonderful blend of flavours.

Those Honey Crisp apples? TASTE LIKE CANDY. They are absolutely divine. I'd like to suggest some delicious baking recipes, or share my favourite crock pot applesaucerecipe with you - but, really, just crush your teeth into those delicious apples and eat them all in one sitting. You can't beat it!

Because the local broccoli is really at the end of its season, be sure to eat it right away. This week's bunches of broccoli won't last nearly as long as some of the earlier varieties. And I have raved about broccoli soup before, but why not serve up some Sesame Broccoli as a pleasing side dish? We love to have it with a grilled steak! This very simple Penne with Broccoli is a nice light weeknight meal, too.

See those yam sweet potatoes??? So much potential! Yams and sweet potatoes should be stored in a dark, cook area for up to two weeks - do not put them in your refrigerator! Cooked yams can stay in your fridge for two or three days.

And I realize I've posted this Potato Leek Soup a gazillion times before, but it really is THAT GOOD. I urge you to give it a try this week - you will simply not be disappointed! Here is a great bunch of tips on how to cut and wash your leeks . . . I had no idea how to handle leeks before I started cooking with them regularly. The same cook offers an interesting Split Pea Soup Recipe that uses leeks.

Did you know that blueberries contain 14 mg of Vitamin C and 0.8 mg of Vitamin E per cup???These naturally occurring antioxidants are thought to help protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals and chronic diseases. Yup, totally true. And because I have a bit of a sweet tooth (understatement of the century), I often eat my blueberries in baked goods. Take a look at Canadian Living's list of their very best blueberry recipes. I always have people raving about my Lemon Blueberry muffins, and they are healthier than a lot of the other varieties I have tried. I also love serving blueberries or other berries (even sometimes frozen ones, in the winter) on top of my home-made granola with some yogurt.

Keep your mango at room temperature until it is ripe. You can usually tell it is ready to ready to eat when it is soft to touch (not hard and firm) and has a sweet aroma. It will often be a reddish-orange colour, although mango colours can vary from region to region. This Baked Mangoes with Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas doesn't look like a particular quick and easy recipe, but - oh my goodness - it looks decadent and well worth the effort in preparation. And I've been eying this Mango and Lime-Glazed Chicken as I am a big fan of roasting whole chickens (and very recently bought some two-for-the-price-of-one at a local grocery store!). Malaysian Mango Chicken Curry is also tempting me . . . the recipe had me at "curry"!

Check the past couple week's posts for tips for your baby bokchoy!

Have a fantastically delicious week and be sure to send me comments or questions if you'd like to see anything included for next week.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Are you ready to tackle your Life Organic Harvest Box this week?? Look at those mouth-watering leafy greens and that delicious and crunchy broccoli . . .

I am fortunate that my very picky eaters all love broccoli, so I get excited when I see a head or two of broccoli peeking out of my harvest box. Wondering what to do with your broccoli?

For a warm fall treat for lunch, make up a batch of Pureed Broccoli Soup. You can easily add some cream to make it thicker and heartier. If you prefer your broccoli as a side dish to an easy weeknight meal, try this Broccoli with Lemon Butter Sauce (use fresh broccoli and not frozen).

If you're a seafood lover and fancy some shrimp in your diet, serve up a heaping dish of thisSpinach Salad with Spicy Shrimp and Mango which combines the sweet flavour of mango with a tangy, spicy shrimp sauce - our family absolutely loves this salad!

Another good use for this week's spinach is a Tomato Spinach and Basil Soup I came across. What soup with fresh basil isn't amazing, and adding spinach to this soup packs it full of iron and other fabulous nutrients.

Although oranges are definitely delicious peeled and eaten, or squeezed into a rich orange juice, this Orange Biscotti recipe is something I plan on trying out on my gang this week with my Valencia oranges.

If you're not all that familiar with zucchini, check out all this great Info on Zucchini.It gives you all the basics you need to know. Ready to tackle those rich green veggies now? Make a Bacon and Zucchini Quiche for brunch one weekend and dazzle your friends and family. And as I've mentioned before, I always leave at least one zucchini for my Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins. My kids can't get enough of them!

Have any recipes you'd like to include in a Life Organic blog post? Please don't hesitate to contact me at craftyshan (at) gmail (dot) com.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

A very bright and colourful harvest box arrived on my doorstep this week, full of possibilities.

If you didn't get a chance to check out last week's avocado recipes, try your hand at putting together this quick and easy weeknight Cayenne-rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa. It is healthy, easy, and fast. I often use a little less cayenne pepper when I make this for my kids, and I add a little extra spice when it is just for my husband and I.

While my three children all enjoy broccoli raw, with dip or on its own, I like to shake things up sometimes and serve the family this Pasta with Shrimp and Broccoli. Since I have a couple of shrimp-lovers on my hands, it is always a big hit and a great way to add more veggies into a pasta dish. Alternatively, this Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic is a fast and easy side dish with a subtle, rich taste.

Why not grab all the tomaotes you can and make up a couple batches of this Fresh Tomato Sauce?I make several dishes at a time and then measure them out and freeze them so I can grab one at any time when I need it.

Check out that YUMMY looking pineapple! I am hoping to try this Pineapple Lemon Cake in the next few days as it promises to offer up a pleasant desert for us all. And if breakfast is more your style, get some added vitamins and nutrients in your morning power drink with thisPineapple Delight Smoothie.

This Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffinrecipe is absolutely delicious. My whole family and all our friends adore these muffins and I simply can't keep a box of these around for long. I don't think you can exactly count it in your veggie content for the day, but I still figure it's better for my kids than other recipes!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Here's a peek inside Life Organic's Harvest Box for the last week of October.

While there are hundreds of wonderful recipes for cooking with avocado, sometimes simple is best. Why not enjoy avocado at its finest and whip up a batch of mouth-watering guacamole? Not sure of where to start? Check out this informative and easy-to-follow video on how to make guacamole.

If dipping your chip into a bowl of guacamole doesn't float your boat, you'll be sure to find something that appeals to your palate at this great resource full of avocado recipes. Bacon-stuffed avocado? Does it get more rich and decadent than that??

I thought I would try and offer a couple new and unique recipes for this week's kale. I often get stuck in a rut with kale and just don't know what to do with it other than sauteeing it up in some olive oil. This Curried Potato Kale Galette looks divine as does this decadent Squash and Kale Phyllo Pie . I'm hoping I have time to try at least one of these this week!

I like the look of these Cajun Roasted Potatoes and am excited to be able to use some peppers in it as well. It promises to provide a little zing to regular mundane potatoes.

I tend to slice up my english cucumbers and throw them in tossed salads, but I stumbled upon this Easy English Cucumber Soup and think it looks like a fabulous way to enjoy a little english cucumber on a spoon!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

This week's Harvest Box from Life Organic is full of fresh fall fruits and veggies!

I love grape tomatoes and especially enjoy cooking with them. Their flavour gives a burst of taste to many dishes, particularly pasta. I stumbled upon this recipe for Chicken with Grape Tomatoes and Fried Basil and think it looks like a great match - basil+chicken+grape tomatoes must be totally divine. When I'm rushed and looking for a quick and easy side dish, I often slice my grape tomatoes in half, throw them in a bowl and toss them with olive oil and salt and pepper. Ridiculously simple and very flavourful.

I always get excited when I see avocados in the Harvest box. My husband's absolute favourite meal of all time is Cayenne-rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa. It is so fast and so easy and so darn healthy, I try to serve it a couple times a month.

In the mood for something lighter? Why not use your grape tomatoes and avocado in one zestful salad? Try this:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, gently mix, and season with salt to taste. If preferred, add more cilantro and fresh lime juice to taste.

Refrigerate for thirty minutes prior to serving.

Just before serving, toss salad with romaine, frisee and watercress. Season to taste with salt and fresh black pepper. Serve immediately.

You won't be disappointed - it's a crowd pleaser.

Although I'm not a huge fan of shiitake mushrooms, I found this great resource full of Shiitake Mushroom Recipes - I'm especially excited about the Shiitake and Brie Pizza! I think I'll definitely be trying that this week.

In a pickle over how to use your beets? Check out Foodland Ontario's best Beet Recipes and you'll be searching no further.

I often use baby bok choy in some sort of stir fry, and this Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry is simple and fast. (Oh, and yummy too!)

My family loves red peppers, and I came across a few new recipes that we haven't tried. This Grilled Sweet Peppers and Corn looks equally tasty as it does easy, although corn is harder to come by this late in October. This is a new variation of Sweet Red Pepper Soup that I haven't tried before, but my *recipe of the week* is most definitely this Slow Cooker Yam and Red Pepper Soup . My taste buds were tingling just reading the ingredient list and I am sure it promises to deliver a hearty and satisfying meal.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Welcome to the new Life Organic Recipe Blog! Check in here each week to find helpful tips and recipes for all the food in your Harvest Box. Not a customer yet? No problem, you can find more information and sign up for delivery service in Ottawa at theLife Organic website.

Life Organic delivers "fresh Harvest boxesfilled with delicious seasonal organic fruits and vegetables, and other ethically produced foods straight to your doorstep. They are committed to high quality; source as much as possible from local growers, ensure that farmers receive fair prices for their produce, look after the environment and always strive to keep customers absolutely delighted with friendly and convenient service".

Ready to take a look inside this week's Harvest Box???

That big green leafy stuff is Baby Kale - here are some easy ideas to use for your kale. One of the tastiest and simplest ways to cook kale is to saute it in a frying pan with a bit of oil (add onions or garlic if you like). Kale is full of nutrients and is a fabulous source of vitamins C and A . . . you're doing your body a favour by eating this stuff!

Here is some great information on washing and cooking with leeks. My favourite way to cook leeks is in soup, and you can find a whole slew of leek recipes at www.leekrecipes.org. This Potato Leek Soup is one of the my family's favourite recipes . . . and is a hearty, warm treat on a cool fall day.

I've got this Chilled Squash and Carrot soup on my radar as well. Looks delicious and I can only imagine how decadent the flavours of squash and carrot mixed together will taste.

Although I am usually a little boring when it comes to asparagus (I often just roast or grill the stalks and serve them with a little olive oil and salt and pepper), there are dozens of asparagus recipes I'd like to try out. Here are a few to get you started!

Although these are more work than I might ever have time for, check out these Shrimp, Pork, and Sugar Snap Pea Spring Rolls! What a unique way to use up your sugar snap peas and this is definitely worth a try if you are having people over and want to completely impress them with your culinary expertise.

My kids don't boast the most impressive palates for veggies, but they are dedicated to their daily bowl of raw carrots. They love them raw, or slightly cooked, alone, or with a side of dip.But if you're interested in getting a little creative with this week's carrots, try this absolutely to-die-for Carrot Cake, or this Velvety Carrot Soup.

Ready to gobble up those tasty bosc pears in your box? Why not try something completely different this week and add them to a healthy dish of Fresh Pear and Curry Pasta. It's super easy and very delicious!

Be sure to check back next week for new ideas for your weekly Harvest Box.

Welcome to the Life Organic Blog! If you live in the Ottawa area and you're a Life Organic customer, be sure to check in here each week for recipe ideas and information regarding your fresh Harvest Box! And if you're not a Life Organic customer, feel free to browse our delicious recipes.